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Alexa can now pay for gas at Exxon and Mobil pumps
The option's available at more than 11,500 stations across the US.
Amazon adjusts the outlook for its in-car Echo setup
With time running out on 2018, Amazon has suddenly started delivering a bunch of the Alexa-connected devices it announced in September. However, it's looking more and more like the Echo Auto that links its virtual assistant to your car stereo won't be one of them. Despite some flip-flopping by Amazon's website, AFTVNews notes that the product page has recently changed, and instead of saying invitations for a pre-release program will go out this year, it simply allows users to get their names on a list. Another adjustment is in its potential support for navigation apps. While it previously promised support for Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze, it now specifies that support for the latter two will arrive in 2019, presumably at some point after the hardware is first released. There's also a support page listing phones that definitely won't work with it, so we have bad news for anyone hoping to link their Nexus 4 to the device.
Amazon's new Echo lineup targets Google, Apple and Sonos
It wouldn't be an Amazon event without a slew of new Echo devices, and this time is no different. The company announced not one, not two, but seven new Echo products at an event today in Seattle. Not only are there now new versions of the Echo Dot, the Echo Plus and the Echo Show, Amazon also introduced several new Echo companions that you can use to bring Alexa to every room in your house -- and even your car.
Here's every Alexa device Amazon announced today
Amazon caused a few gasps at its Alexa event Thursday when it revealed it had 70 things to announce. If that sounds like a lot to take in, fret not -- not all of those were hardware announcements. We've rounded up all of the Alexa-infused products Amazon showcased, including speakers, an in-car device and, um, a microwave?
Amazon's Echo Auto puts Alexa in any car
A growing number of cars have Alexa built-in, but what if yours doesn't? Amazon has its own solution: Echo Auto. The new peripheral uses your phone's cellular connection (through a Bluetooth link) to provide Alexa voice commands in vehicles where they normally wouldn't be an option. The device is ready as soon as you start your vehicle, and it now uses location-based routines to trigger events based on where you are. The lights can come on at home when you're about to pull into the driveway, as an example.
